Professional Documents
Culture Documents
After you come up with your own system for generating ideas, the next step
is to put them in some recognizable story form (the basic plot idea), build
your central conflict (the story premise sheet), then build your character
and underlying themes (the thematic premise sheet.
#1 QUEST - the plot involves the Protagonist's search for a person, place
or thing, tangible or intangible (but must be quantifiable, so think of
this as a noun; i.e., immortality).
#7 THE RIDDLE - plot involves the Protagonist's search for clues to find
the hidden meaning of something in question that is deliberately enigmatic
or ambiguous.
#10 TEMPTATION - plot involves a Protagonist that for one reason or another
is induced or persuaded to do something that is unwise, wrong or immoral.
#14 LOVE - plot involves the Protagonist overcoming the obstacles to love
that keeps them from consummating (engaging in) true love.
(Note: Sometimes #19 & #20 are combined into rags-to-riches-to-rags (or
vice versa) of a Protagonist who does (or doesn't) learn to deal with their
dominating character trait.)
For an in-depth look at these plots, read the excellent "20 Master Plots
and How To Build Them" by Ronald B. Tobias available through the TSA
Writers Store.